The Best Way to Repair Nicks and Scratches in Your Car’s Paint

Collect the tools and materials you need

Start by getting the proper paint color. Dealers usually sell 1/2-ounce vials of auto touch-up paint and clear coat for about $8 each. But call the parts department first to see if your color is in stock. Have your car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, handy. You can also usually find the color code for your car’s paint in the door jam, then use those letters and numbers to match up the paint at an auto parts store or online.

“Always test the paint somewhere hidden to make sure it matches when going on and when dried like in a wheel well or door jam,” says Chris “Moose” Pyle, an automotive expert with JustAnswer.com.

One vial of paint is enough to repair about two dozen small paint chips. If you need more, search for a larger bottle online. “For larger DIY projects, you can order a paint match via your VIN or paint code from companies like Tropical Glitz and TSS,” says Richard McClellan, founder of Elite Customs.

To fix scratches and paint chips, you’ll need a spot-sanding tool, professional micro applicators and paint syringes. The small applicators deliver the right amount of paint for chips, while the syringes apply a continuous coat of paint to scratches. For small dents and dings, apply paint with a 1/4-inch artist’s brush.

At an auto parts store, pick up some car wash detergent and wax and grease remover. If you already have rust forming, also buy an assortment of wet/dry sandpaper grits and a bottle of brush-on rust converter. If you have to repair dents, you’ll also need a small container of auto-body filler.

Clear-coating your repairs protects the paint. So get an aerosol can of clear coat enamel and a corded or cordless buffer for polishing.

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Wash and degrease your car

• Wash your vehicle before starting any repairs. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let it dry.
• Apply the wax and grease remover with a clean rag to the areas you’re touching up, then rinse.

“Failures are normally attributed to improper cleaning and applying a blob of paint of more than the area needing to be covered,” says Pyle.

Remove flaking paint and surface rust

• Gently scrape away flaking paint with a two-inch plastic putty knife. If all you have is a metal putty knife, go ahead and use it, but go easy to avoid making new scratches.
• Sand lightly with 150-grit wet/dry sandpaper, then switch to 600-grit paper to feather the painted edges around the spot.
• Use a spot-sanding tool to remove rust from scratches and larger paint chips. Remove the sanding dust with a clean rag.

“The best way to remove flaking paint is with D/A or a fuel action sander with 600-grit sandpaper,” says McClellan. “And always rewash the car again.”

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Apply rust converter

Follow the instructions on the bottle of rust converter and use a foam brush to apply a thin coating to the area. For scratches, apply the converter with a paint syringe. Allow it to dry thoroughly. Most rust converters dry to form a primer coat and don’t require additional primer, but double-check the directions.

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Fill dents with auto-body filler

• Make dents up to about an inch in diameter disappear with auto body filler. Mix the filler with the hardener supplied with it according to the instructions on the container, then trowel it into the dent with a plastic putty knife. Scrape the repair flat, then allow the filler to harden, which takes about 20 minutes.
• Sand the repair flat with 150-grit sandpaper (using an orbital sander will speed things up), then smooth it out by hand-sanding with progressively finer grits up to 600-grit.

If there are dents without sharp edges, many of those can be removed without bondo and paint, but if the dent is creased, it will likely require body filler, sanding, priming and painting that panel, and blending the paint into surrounding panels, says Pyle.

“That is best done in a body shop atmosphere, not in your driveway or garage where the wet paint can be attacked by bugs and dust before it cures,” says Pyle. “You can, however, tackle the dent and bondo yourself then take the car to be painted. Just make sure you get the majority of the dent out with tools instead of applying a thick layer of Bondo, that is not what it is designed for and a thick layer will fail. “

For small dents and chips, McClellan also recommends the product Bondo Glazing & Spot Putty, manufactured by 3M.

Touch-up dents

• Shake the vial or stir the bottle for the recommended time to ensure any metallic flakes in the paint are completely suspended.
• Use an artist’s brush to apply a light coat of paint to the treated area. Use several thin coats rather than a single thick one.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time between coats.
• After it dries, lightly sand each coat with 600-grit sandpaper.
• Clean the brush with the recommended solvent between coats.

“One common mistake is failing to blend the edges properly,” says McClellan. “Metallica seems to be the hardest to touch up. One pro tip is to add thinner multiple coats instead of one thick coat. Then, wet sand lightly and buff.”

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Touch-up paint chips

Repair a paint chip with a micro applicator that’s slightly smaller than the chip. Again, apply several thin coats rather than one big blob. Thick blobs skin over, then sink as they dry, leaving an ugly divot.

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Touch up scratches

• Load paint into a syringe. For small, thin scratches, apply the paint directly with the syringe, drawing it along the scratch as you press the plunger to dispense paint.
• For wider scratches, apply the brush head to the syringe and load it with a small amount of touch-up paint. Then, apply light pressure to the plunger as you guide the brush head throughout the scratch.
• Wait for the paint to dry, then sand the repair lightly by hand using 600-git sandpaper to knock down bulges. If needed, apply a second coat and sand the paint down after it dries.

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Protect repairs with clear coat

• Spray each repair you make with clear coat enamel. This protects the touch-up paint and helps blend it, because the sheen of the touch-up will generally be duller than the rest of the finish.
• Let the clear coat dry (check the container for drying time). Use a corded or cordless buffer to feather the edges of the area you sprayed into the rest of the finish.
• You may want to spray a second coat and buff that up, too.

FAQ

Do touch-up pens work on cars?

Yes. They hide small scratches as long as the color is a perfect match. The fix is only temporary, but will last longer if you apply clear coat over it. You may find it difficult, if not impossible, to perfectly blend the repair with the rest of the paint.

Does WD-40 remove scratches on a car?

I’ve never tried to repair scratches with WD-40, but Auto Detailing Pro says it works if the scratches are light. It fills the depression and leaves a film that can hide the scratch and prevent rusting. But the film may also attract dirt, making the scratch more noticeable. Moreover, being a petroleum product, WD-40 may damage the car paint, so use it sparingly.

Can you spray paint a car to touch up scratches?

Yes, if you can find an exact match for your car’s color. There’s one potential problem, though. It’s hard to feather in the edges to match the car’s paint, so be prepared to do some wet-sanding with fine-grit sandpaper and cover the repair with a clear coat.

When should I call a pro?

If you don’t have an exact color match, you may need a pro’s experience and trained eye to help you find one. Even if rust has eaten a hole in the car’s body, you can usually fix that yourself with auto body filler. But if there are a lot of holes, you’re better off leaving the repairs to someone with expertise and the right equipment.

About the Experts

• Richard McClellan is a lifetime auto enthusiast and the founder of Elite Customs, a luxury car customization shop in Franklin, Tennessee
• Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer.com since 2006.